Open Access and Open Educational Resources: How to Use OER Texts

Students may be asking themselves how to use OER, especially if they're newly incorporated in a classroom setting. Luckily, open access textbooks can be used in the same way as a regular textbook. Open access textbooks can:

• Provide the same content, homework, and practice that comes with a traditional textbook
• Be cited in papers and assignments
• Provide additional resources, such as problem sets or worksheets, that may be found in a traditional textbook.

The best open access resources, like their traditional counterparts, should be peer reviewed and from a reputable publisher. Reputable open access publishers include (LIST EM). The website hosting the textbook will usually indicate if a source is peer reviewed or not, typically on the landing page of the source. For any questions determining the legitimacy of a source, please contact the DDel-C staff.